Just A Little Mischief
by CriDeLaMouette
Summary: 1831 AD, Canada. Loki sits in a bar and does what he does best: getting people into trouble. Suddenly, the door opens, and a young woman enters. It is Charlotte Creed, sister of the Howletts' gamekeeper. But Charlotte is more than that... Loki/Sigyn


**WARNING!**

**This story might be quite brutal at some points, mentioning sexual abuse, blood and violence. If this is not what you want to read, then please don't. _But_, brutal as parts might be, it is a love story, written for my best friend Chiara, who is a huge Loki fan. And we both don't really like how Loki is always the bad guy, mythology and Marvel alike.**

**Actually, it is more of a crossover than a real "Thor" fanfiction, as it takes place a little earlier than the time "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" starts, and at exactly the same place. The woman of the story, Charlotte Creed, is the mother of Victor Creed/Sabretooth (who isn't yet born when the story begins), but since we don't see her in _Origins_, my best friend and I reckoned something has happened to her a while before. Also, in the _Origins _comic book, Sabretooth's mom still lives and looks not at all like Charlotte. But this is our version, and I hope you'll like it. Because I really do :)**

**This is probably just a one-shot, but it might be followed by others, if I find enough time to write them. **

Just A Little Mischief

1831 AD

It was a cold November evening on Midgard that Loki, the Asgardian god of mischief, sat in a bar in Canada, unseen by the guests, and helped them to somehow get into trouble. Apart from this being his task as a god, he rather enjoyed it, too. Especially with the men and the few prostitutes that were sitting in this establishment. They were people from the lower classes, and in this particular town in Canada, that meant they were scum.

Not that Loki cared about who he chose for his victim. Kings and queens were just as stupid as slaves and gamekeepers. But getting people into trouble who already were in trouble was more than fun.

He sat alone at a table and manipulated the barman into cutting himself. The barman cursed, and Loki laughed to himself. Sometimes the small victories were the funniest.

The people couldn't see him sitting there. He was too well disguised. But when he had found a victim, he would appear somewhere close to him or her – every mirroring surface would do. Cups, wine, glass, needles, the windows – unseen by everyone, his face would appear on an object like that and talk his victim into doing something stupid.

Right now he was looking for his favorite victim when it came to organize a bar fight. Thomas Logan Creed, the gamekeeper of the Howletts, who were the richest family in town. The thing with Thomas Creed was that he was the most brutal man Loki had ever met on Midgard. Usually, Loki didn't even need to convince him to do something stupid, for he would do it himself. In fact, Loki was pretty sure that something was wrong with Creed's brain. Even as a little child, Creed had been mad – and not mad in the funny way, but mad in the most brutal way one could imagine.

Loki hated him, but it was fun to play with him. And now he wanted to organize a bar fight, with the subconscious help of mad Thomas Creed.

He found Thomas sitting with three friends – if one could call these people friends – in a corner of the bar, playing some stupid gambling play Loki had suggested. Thomas was losing – the perfect set-up for a fight.

Loki was about to suggest something to Thomas' mind when the door of the bar was opened. Nobody cared, but Loki looked up to see the new possible victim.

It was a woman – a young woman, just out of her adolescence. She was very pale, almost white, and her ebony black hair underlined that very much. Her eyes were black pearls, and her lips were of a rosy red color. She was wearing a beautiful crimson dress with a hooped skirt that fitted her perfectly, although it was anything but new. She looked frightened.

Of course Loki knew who that was. Charlotte Creed, Thomas Creed's sister... and his lover, as Loki knew. Not that she _wanted _to be Thomas' lover, but Loki knew she didn't have a choice. She was small, almost fragile, a person who had been abused by her brother ever since she had been a little girl, something her family hadn't noticed. Loki had accompanied her ever since her birth, and had often helped her with making the right choices – meaning choices that would save her from any trouble. Only two times his suggestions had harmed her. The first time had been deliberate. He had suggested climbing up a high tree when she had been seven years old, and of course she had fallen down – luckily for her directly into a pond. The second time had been a grave mistake. He had advised her to hold back some of the money Thomas had earned so she could save it. In normal families, this was a good idea, but this was Thomas Creed, and suddenly Loki's good idea had led to one of Thomas most brutal outbursts of fury.

Charlotte had been beaten up so badly that she would have needed a doctor, but Thomas had forbidden that. Miraculously, she had healed, anyway, but Loki had regretted this suggestion very much.

And now she was here. A pretty 22-year-old maiden in a bar full of drunk perverts. Of whom most, if not all, had already slept with her. Not because she wanted to, again. Thomas "needed" the money for his vodka, and so he had made his sister to the town's most prominent whore, something which hurt the pretty girl very much. Loki knew that everything that happened to the young woman had never been chosen by her, and he felt more than sorry for her.

Which actually was a strange feeling. He almost never felt sorry for anyone. Especially not on Midgard.

Loki knew instantly why the poor girl had come here: to bid Thomas to come home. Loki also knew what would happen next: Thomas was _very _drunk, and he hated it when his sister asked him for anything in front of his friends. To be true, Thomas hated his sister – and he loved her. A real madman.

"I wouldn't do that now", he whispered to her through the black windows, "He's drunk, and it is never a good idea to speak to him when he's drunk. I will only get beaten. I should go home." With satisfaction he observed that Charlotte had stopped walking towards her brother and was re-thinking her idea. Then she turned round – and looked directly at Loki.

Loki started to feel uncomfortable. Could she see him? That was impossible, his deceiving charm was too well performed. Only an Asgardian would be able to see him now – if he or she cared enough to see him. No, Charlotte must have seen something different.

But now she was walking towards him, and with a shock Loki realized that his deceiving charm had, for some reason, not deceived her. His mind raced through every possible solution now, and he decided that talking to her was probably the best idea. This way he could also make sure that she went home.

"Hello, sir", she said, and like always when she spoke, Loki was surprised by how clear and beautiful her voice was. For some reason, she did not speak the rough, violent language of her class. Another proof to Loki that she didn't belong here.

"I have never seen you here before", she continued with her wind-chime voice, "Are you a traveller?"

Should he dare to look at her? Suddenly he was afraid that she was also able to see him when he was giving her advice. He calmed himself. Now that was even more than impossible.

He lifted his head and looked at the young woman, who looked back curiously. "Yes, I am some sort of a traveller", he smiled at her and wondered what her wide eyes meant. But now she had turned her attention away from his emerald-green eyes to the loaf of bread that lay on his table. It was Asgardian bread, for Loki didn't like the food on Midgard much.

"Are you hungry?", he asked in a friendly voice.

"I am fine, thank you", she answered, but Loki knew she was lying.

"It is alright, little princess", he smiled, "I am happy to share with you."

She looked at him suspiciously. "I am no prostitute, sir", she said, and her voice sounded surprisingly strong.

"And I am not looking for one, little princess." He acted friendlier than he did with everyone else, except for his brother, father and mother, perhaps. "Come, sit down with me. I have travelled far and with no news of the world, and maybe you can delight me with one or two stories."

Her suspicion faded, and she sat down. Loki saw that she didn't look so frightened anymore, but just for her to be safe he enlarged the deceiving charm. Now both were invisible to the loud guests of the bar.

"I don't think I have stories that could be of your interest, sir", she said after a few minutes of silence, "but may I ask you a question? It is a rather strange one, and I do hope you will not feel offended by it."

Loki chuckled. He had always liked Charlotte. By some strange magic he had been drawn to her the day she had been born, and he had never been able to leave her alone for longer than a few days.

"You can ask me anything you want, and I can promise you I have heard far more offending questions."

Charlotte took a deep breath. "Are you the one who always gives me good advice? I always see this face, and it looks exactly like yours."

Loki was shocked, but he was trained enough not to show it. How was that possible? How could she see him? He had never met a mortal before who had been able to see him.

"Are you afraid of that face?"

She shook her head and smiled shyly. "No. It feels as if someone is there for me, you know?" Her eyes were filled with tears now, something which Loki had always found hard to bear. Not in general, but _Charlotte's _tears were more than heart-breaking. "Someone who cares for me", she continued in a whisper. But then she wiped away her tears. "I am sorry, sir, that was a stupid question. Please forgive me."

Loki smiled and cut off a slice of bread, which he handed her. "No, that was not a stupid question at all, my dear. You see, you are right. I am that face." How would she react to that? Would she be shocked? Scared?

But no – she beamed at him. "Really?"

He nodded. "Really."

She fell silent and looked around the room. Loki wondered whether she could see him there, too.

"It _is _you!", she finally exclaimed with a happy smile, and she clapped her hands. Loki realized that in some ways, that poor young woman was still a child that had never gotten the chance to grow up.

"I can see you everywhere!", she smiled, "In the window, on that cup, on that bottle... Who are you?"

"My name is Loki." Was she familiar with what on Midgard was called Norse Mythology? After all, it was Canada, not Scandinavia, where his name still sent chills up the people's backs.

But her eyes widened. "Like Loki, the god?"

He chuckled. "Yes, little princess, like the god. How do you know me?"

Her smile grew wider. "So you actually _are _the god!"

"You do not question the existence of a mythological being?", he asked surprised.

"I have seen you a million times, I do not doubt your existence. I have always wondered if there was more to the myths."

Loki smiled. "Which brings me back to my original question: Why do you know about me?"

"Mother told me all the stories!", she said brightly, "About Odin and Asgard and Thor and Loki and Yggdrasil and the Frost Giants and Sleipnir-"

He interrupted her. "Your mother told you?"

She nodded.

"Is she from Scandinavia?"

Charlotte looked confused. "I don't know. Where is that?"

But if Mrs Creed was not from Scandinavia, from where had she heard these stories? Unless she was able to speak and read the older Norse languages, it was almost impossible to know about all of that. There were almost no translations of the old poems and texts. Either Mrs Creed had heard the stories from a Scandinavian traveller, which was not very likely, as married women weren't supposed to talk to strangers, or a god had told her.

Luckily enough, there was a way for Loki to find out.

"So, what do you know about me then, little princess?"

She took a deep breath and gathered her thoughts. "You are Loki, the god of mischief, called the Lie Smith, son of Odin and Frigga and younger brother to Thor, god of thunder. Is that correct?"

It was, and that puzzled Loki. It meant that a god had told Charlotte's mother about Asgard. Because in Norse mythology, Loki was Odin's blood brother, married to a goddess named Sigyn and father to five children. So that couldn't have been the source of Mrs Creed. It had to be an Asgardian, then. But who? When? And why?

"Yes, little princess, that is correct. But eat your slice of bread, I can see that you are hungry."

She smiled at him and took a bite of the bread. With pleasure Loki saw that she was astonished by the bread's taste.

"This is delicious!", she beamed, "What is it?"

Loki smiled. "It is bread from my home. Do you want more, little princess?"

She shook her head. "It's your food, sir."

"Call me Loki, little princess."

"Then you should call me Charlotte."

Loki smiled. "Charlotte, then. And you can eat my food, do not worry about that. I can return home and have more anytime I want, but you are hungry now. Tell me, when was the last time your brother has bought you something to eat?"

Her eyes widened. "He's not my brother", she hurried to say, "He's my husband."

"Oh", Loki grinned mischievously, "I do not see a ring, though." He instantly regretted his outburst of his normal mocking behavior, for Charlotte's eyes filled with tears. "Don't cry, little princess! Please, don't cry. If you know that I have always been watching you, then you know I know everything about you."

She wiped her tears away. "I am sorry, Loki. I am just... I don't want anyone to know... Not that you think I actually want that... it's complicated."

Loki smiled and handed her another slice of bread. "Do not worry, dear Charlotte, I do not condemn you. I know of your fate. In fact, I want to help you."

"You often have, haven't you? I know that you have often given me good advice."

"Sometimes good, sometimes bad, but yes, I have."

Charlotte beamed at him. Her eyes were huge with what he recognized as joy.

"What is it, Charlotte?", he asked, a little confused.

"It's just... You've often done me a huge favor. Thank you."

For the first time in a long, long time, Loki couldn't find the right words to answer. Somebody had _thanked _him.

"You do know that I am also responsible for bad advice, don't you?"

She smiled. "Like the time when you suggested that I should hold back some of Tommy's money?"

Loki nodded, and for some reason, he felt embarrassed. "I am sorry for that. If I had known he would beat you up like that..." She was still smiling, and Loki saw that she was missing two teeth in the right corner of her mouth.

"But that is your task, isn't it? Giving bad advice?"

Loki smiled a little sad smile. "Yes, it is. But I am still sorry. Here, let me replace your teeth."

She looked surprised. "Can you do that?"

Loki nodded. "It's just a little magic. Do you allow me to touch your mouth? I won't hurt you."

She smiled. "I know."

Loki gently touched her right cheek. He muttered a few words to himself and directed the flow of magic into Charlotte's mouth. When he looked again, the two missing teeth had been replaced. "Perfect", he smiled and carressed her cheek, "Beautiful."

She smiled brilliantly at him, and Loki wondered how she could have maintained these white teeth. Health care in these classes was more than poor, but other than the bruises, broken bones and other wounds that came from her abuse, Charlotte was healthy. He admired that, how she had stayed healthy and happy.

"So the bread is from your home?", she asked. Her eyes looked curiously at him, and Loki could not help but to admire them – beautiful black pearls that shone brightly at him now. He had seldom seen her this happy. It made _him _happy to see her that way.

"Yes, it's from Asgard."

Her eyes grew wide. "Asgard! That's the home of the gods, isn't it?"

Loki nodded.

"Tell me about it!", she said, and he realized that she was admiring him. That was new to him. Usually Thor was the one who brought admirers with him, and usually these admirers/women were head over heels for his brother. But Charlotte was admiring _him,_Loki, now – him and his origin.

He saw that she threw Thomas a frightened glance. "Don't worry", he said, "He can't see you here, little princess."

She threw him a little smile. "Are you a wizard, Loki?"

He grinned. "One could say so, yes. But you wanted to know of Asgard, not of my magic skills."

She took another piece of bread. "But I want to know about both! Tell me, is it magic that makes you appear everywhere?"

Loki smiled. "Yes. Very well observed, little princess."

She rolled her eyes. "Why do you call me little princess? My name is Charlotte."

Loki nodded. "I know. But don't you like being called a princess?"

She turned red – which was really beautiful. The color flooded her pale cheeks and made her look even more adorable. She looked like a porcelain doll.

"I... I do, but I am none."

He smiled. "Oh, who cares about such formalities? I am a prince, which means I can call you whatever I want. You might not be a princess by birth, but you'll always be _my_ princess." He winked at her, and Charlotte giggled.

"Alright, Prince Loki, why do you appear in all those things?"

He smiled and moved a little closer to her, not only to show her what he meant, but also – and that surprised and confused him – because he wanted to feel her warmth and life. She looked so ghost-like that it hurt him, and he suddenly was angry at her parents that they had just handed their daughter over to a violent madman. Of course he also knew that the Creeds were scared of their son, but he found it more than disgusting that their own life was more valuable to them than their fragile daughter's.

"Well", he began explaining, "You know my task is to give bad advice?" She nodded. "You also have to know that when I do give good advice, it's just a failed bad advice. I am the god of mischief, therefore it is my task to, well, get others into trouble. Make them realize they're not perfect. Can you follow me?"

She nodded again, and Loki suddenly felt a strong urge to lay an arm around the tiny woman. She was probably freezing – it was snowing outside, but all she was wearing was her dress and a light cotton coat made for summer. Loki wanted to make her feel better, but he didn't know how.

"So, in order to convince people to do stupid things, I need to talk to them. But now I can't be in one-hundred places at the same time, can I?" She shook her head, beaming at him in admiration and wonder. Loki caught himself thinking how it would feel to kiss her. "And for that, my face can appear on every mirroring surface to convince my victim. For example... yes, I could show you. Is anyone here you don't like?"

Like a child who had been offered candy although it wasn't supposed to eat any, she looked around. Finally her eyes rested on a big, fat old man who sat at the bar and flirted with a prostitute.

"Him", Charlotte said shyly, "The miller."

Loki nodded, understanding more than Charlotte knew. The miller was one of Charlotte's more frequent visitors – and one of the more violent. Loki had always resented that man, but seeing how Charlotte was looking at him made Loki _hate _the miller. How could anyone hurt such a tiny little maid as Charlotte was? Even he, Loki, the master of mischief, couldn't do that. For the first time, he had developped a bad conscience. Hurting the miller would be more than fun.

"Alright, little princess, the miller it is, then. See, now my face is on his bottle of whatever that is." She nodded, and again Loki was amazed she could see him. "And now listen to what I say." Loki cleared his throat, concentrated on his target and said:"The chair is big enough, I can move backwards a little." Just as Loki had finished, a loud bang proved that Loki's power had worked: the miller had fallen off his chair. Charlotte giggled. When the miller tried to get up, he grabbed into the shards from his bottle and cut himself pretty bad. Now Charlotte was laughing quietly, and Loki had to admit that she looked even more beautiful when she was laughing.

"Well, this is what I do every day."

Charlotte smiled happily at him. "This is so funny!", she laughed, "Can you do it again?"

Loki grinned. She was the first person he had met who wanted him to harm another being _again_. "Alright, little princess, tell me: Who should be my next victim?"

Charlotte looked around, and sometimes her eyes paused on somebody, but she seemed to not be able to decide on someone.

All of the sudden, the door to the pub was opened, and a really fat, ugly looking man entered the bar. Charlotte's eyes filled with terror as she saw the man, and when Loki recognized him, he knew that whatever he could think of to hurt this man, it would never be enough.

It was the local priest, although in this town, the word "priest" was misleading. Usually, being a priest meant one was a believing, humanitarian, piousman who would help people in trouble. But the priest of this particular little Canadian town was one of the worst of all horrible men living at that time. He was a pervert, and when the miller was a frequent visitor of little Charlotte, then the priest was practically living at her house.

Loki saw that Charlotte's eyes filled with tears, and he tried to come up with a way to comfort her. "Do you mean this terrible man?", he asked with a friendly tone. Charlotte nodded, still looking frightened. "Alright, let me think of something really harmful. Something of which you might not see the effects immediately." She nodded again.

Loki concentrated again, and appeared in a window close to the priest. "I know that gambling is bad", he whispered, "but just one game can't hurt. It's Thomas and his friends, this should be just a little bit of fun." He hoped that Thomas and the priest would be a good base for a huge bar fight, and if his plan worked, the priest wouldn't be able to use a certain part of his body for a while.

Charlotte and Loki watched the priest walking towards the gambling men.

"Hello, Thomas", the priest said, "Would you mind if I joined you for one little game?"

Of course Thomas didn't mind. He knew the priest had money, and he wanted it. The more, the better.

The priest sat down, and the men continued with their game. It started rather friendly, with Thomas and the priest talking casually first about the weather, alcohol and money. Then they began talking about the Howletts, the richest family in town.

"The old Mr Howlett won't live much longer", Thomas chuckled, "And he's really pissed his son ain't married yet. Bet Johnnyboy don't like women much."

His friends laughed, and even the priest chuckled.

Charlotte snorted quietly.

"What is it, little princess?", Loki asked.

"John Howlett is one of the friendliest men I have ever met. He will inherit the Howlett estate when his father dies. He wanted to marry me a while ago", her tone became bitter, "but Tommy 'talked' him out of it." She wiped a tear away, and Loki felt even more sorry now. He remembered the day John Howlett had proposed to a completely surprised Charlotte, and the kick with which Thomas had made the poor man impotent – and unwilling to marry the tiny woman, for Thomas had (without telling Charlotte) threatened John to kill him if he would ask her again.

"Which brings me to another point", the priest said, his voice more serious, "I would really love to have a taste of that little angel of yours again."

Thomas laughed out loud. "I've already wondered when you would ask, it's been a while."

The priest nodded and made a very obscene gesture with his hand.

Loki's eyes darted to Charlotte, who had frozen in shock. She breathed heavily, tears started streaming down her face and looked as if she was about to faint.

Loki laid an arm around her shoulder and magically calmed her down. "Charlotte, everything is fine. Just wait, little princess." She leaned on his shoulder, but stopped crying. "Trust me, little princess, he won't hurt you for a long time."

Her black pearly eyes stared at him with – and that surprised him – complete trust. What had he done to earn that from this child? It touched him deeply, and he pressed the fragile woman closer to him.

"What's going to happen to him?", she asked innocently, but for a second, her eyes twinkled with something that looked like lust for revenge. Loki liked that. It meant that after all those years of pain and fear, she still hadn't lost the feeling for herself. And although Thomas had done a good job of damaging her self-consciousness and her personality, he had not been able to take away her feeling of of being treated wrongly. Loki admired her for that. She was an extraordinary lady. He wished there was someone like her in Asgard. Charlotte was special in every way.

"He will be beaten up by some of the bar's visitors, if everything works according to my plan. Is that alright for you, my princess?"

She smiled and nodded, and then both watched the gamblers for a few minutes in silence. Then Charlotte asked:"Loki, is it hard to convince people? I mean, do you always have to concentrate?"

Loki smiled, but shook his head. "No, actually you are quite lucky to meet the real me here. Right now, my face is at a million other places, talking people into getting into trouble. I could have been anywhere but here." That was only partially true. For some reason, he found himself more often in this town than anywhere else on Midgard.

She beamed at him. "You are special", she said shyly, "And I am glad you are here tonight."

Loki smiled warmly at her. "You know what, little princess? I am glad, too."

They remained silent for a while and watched Thomas getting more drunk and more aggressive. He was especially angry at the priest, who was winning all of his money.

When the air seemed to be electric with violence, Loki stood up. "We should go now, little princess."

Charlotte looked at hi, unsure about what to do. "Aren't we going to watch?", she asked shyly.

"No. It is too dangerous for you. You could get hurt." Why did he care about that? "Also, you should not go home tonight."

Both looked at Thomas, and both knew what he would do to her when he came home. Charlotte's eyes filled with tears. "But I don't know where to go!", she whispered desperately, "I have no other place to stay! My parents won't let me in, and I cannot sleep outside, can I? I have to go ho-"

Loki suddenly had a horrid image in his mind: a white corpse with ebony-black hair, lying in the snow, which around the dead body was red from blood. The corpse was wearing a dress, a crimson dress with a hooped skirt, but the dress had been ripped and was bloody. The body had deep wounds everywhere. The face might have been that of the lovely porcelain doll that was standing next to him right now, but her beautiful black eyes had been ripped from their sockets and were lying above the corpse's head. Loki didn't know if this was the future, or what would happen if she went home tonight, but he wouldn't take any chances. Not with that young sweet lady next to him. She was the only one he had ever met who admired him and his task as a god – a task that made many people even in Asgard fear Loki.

He could not risk losing her. That surprised him.

"Listen, little princess, how much would yo like to see Asgard?", he asked, and her eyes grew huge.

"Asgard?" She clapped her hands in excitement. "I would love to see your home!" She beamed brightly, and Loki felt warmth in his heart. This woman did something strange to him. Something he couldn't grasp. But it felt good, and so he didn't question it any further for now, afrsid that the feeling might disappear.

"Alright, my dear, then let us go now", he said, still trying to shake off the horrible image from a few seconds before. He helped her get up and couldn't help but notice that she moved with a grace he rarely saw with mortals. There was something mysterious about the young woman, but Loki was sure she didn't even know that herself. "Go first, little princess", he smiled and opened the door for her, "And do not worry about Thomas, he will not even know that you weren't home tonight."

She beamed at him. "Can you really do that?"

Loki nodded. "Yes, I can – and then he is also drunk, which is really helpful."

She giggled and stepped out into the snow. She looked beautiful in the wintry landscape – like she had stepped out of a fairy tale of the mortals, Loki thought. He grinned as he joined her, and has he took her hand to hold it, he said with a mischievous grin:"I didn't know Snow-White was a dwarf herself."

Charlotte looked at him, and after a few seconds, when she had understood what he had said, she started giggling again. She let herself fall into the snow and smiled at Loki. "I love winter", she said, with her black eyes locked on Loki's green ones, "The snow is so beautiful. Everything looks innocent and calm and peaceful."

Loki wanted to agree, but the image of the dead and bloody Charlotte returned to him with such a power that for a second, he didn't know whether Charlotte was alive or dead. He shook the image off again, and helped Charlotte to get up. "Come on, then. We have to travel to another realm tonight."

"Is it far?", she asked as she cleaned her dress of the snow.

"Not really."

"What does that mean, not really?"

"Once we have reached the hidden path, it will be a matter of minutes."

She smiled. "Okay."

Loki was amazed that she hadn't asked where the hidden path was. It was another proof that she was special. He wasn't sure what made her so special, though. The only possible explanation was that she wasn't fully mortal. He didn't know for sure, though. What he did know was that there had to be a reason for him constantly watching her ever since her birth. He couldn't stay away, it was impossible. Of course he met all mortals more than once, in order to fulfill his task as the god of mischief, but most of his deeds were more or less subconscious. With Charlotte, he had always been there, fully aware of his surroundings and his actions. He didn't know why or what, but something had drawn him to her, wherever she had been.

He led her into the cold, dark forest and was surprised that she didn't show any signs of fear. After all, she was alone with a stranger who was leading her into the wild forest. For all she knew, he could be a crazy psychopath who had lured her into the forest with the image of a golden realm to kill her. Maybe she didn't think about that – after all, Charlotte was a little naïve sometimes – but Loki was convinced it was something else: Utmost trust into the face that had been always with her. She didn't believe in the god Loki, she _knew _he existed. But with what she knew about him, she didn't flee from him, but admired him for things his people in Asgard dreaded him.

He flinched when he heard her clap and giggle. "What is it, little princess?", he asked with a genuine and honest smile.

"I know where we are!"

"You do?"

"Sometimes I come here when Tommy isn't home and when I'm sad", she explained with glittering eyes, "And then I carve smileys into the trees. See here? Now the trees all have faces! Lots of faces!" She beamed at him, but Loki felt nothing but pity for the tiny mortal. She had to _invent _people who listened to her tortured little soul because there was no real person who would.

He looked around. There were almost two hundred faces smiling from the trees. He felt tears prickling in his eyes, tears that seldom came, and almost never out of pity.

"Why this place?", he asked before he could stop himself, "It's far away from your house."

She threw him a look that said _Isn't that obvious_ but answered:"I don't know. Do you see that hollow oak over there, with a hole big enough for a man to enter?"

Loki looked around and spotted the named tree. It was the entrance to one of the hidden paths that led from Midgard to the other realms of Yggdrasil. Fortunately he was a good actor, and so he was able to ask completely innocent:"Yes, I do. What is the matter with it?"

She shrugged. "I'm not sure. It draws me to this place every time I think of a home. I like to think I could hide in that hollow trunk."

"Can you?", Loki asked, who with every word the little mortal had said had come to a very simple conclusion concerning the mystery around her.

She shrugged again. "I haven't tried. I think it might be sacred, you know? "

Loki knew exactly what she meant. By now he was very sure about the answer to the mystery of Charlotte. He smiled at her. "So you feel safe here?"

She nodded. He smiled again, knowing that if his suspicion proved to be true, she was right. No one would be able to find her here. The flow of magic was strong in this place, and Loki realized this wasn't only because of the tree. Charlotte Creed had performed a simple, but effective protection spell without even knowing it. As soon as she crossed the first tree with a smiley, she would be safe.

He was more than impressed. In his experience, that made her a talented sorceress, which she could only be if she had some non-mortal blood. Without knowing it, she had performed a spell that usually took some time to learn.

He was glad about that. He knew he couldn't keep her in Asgard. It was forbidden. But he also feared that the image he had seen in his head would become her future if she stayed on Midgard, unprotected. That she had created her own refuge calmed him a little. Maybe the gruesome picture would turn into the image of a beautiful old lady, sitting on a front porch with her grandchildren.. He wished her that.

"Alright, little princess, I have to make you fall asleep to bring you to Asgard. You cannot know the way. I know that this is a stupid law, and I am sorry, but I don't want to risk more than we already do. Is that okay with you?"

She just beamed at him and nodded. Loki was amazed. Why was this girl so happy? She had absolutely no reason to be that way, but here she was, smiling and beaming and gloriously lighthearted.

He laid his hand over her eyes and muttered some words. Within seconds, Charlotte dropped into his arms, breathing quietly. Loki lifted her up and stroke a strand of her black hair out of her porcelain face. She was so beautiful that Loki couldn't help but stare at her for a while before he took the next step onto the hidden path to Asgard.

Hopefully Heimdall, that old wight, wasn't looking.

He carried her across the path of purple mist until golden walls appeared on both sides – Asgard. Or, more precisely, the inner palace, and, what was best, not too far away from Loki's chambers. He quickly walked there and opened the door with a wave of his hand. Then he laid the small figure of Charlotte onto his bed, stroking another strand of her hair out of her face, and gently woke her.

Charlotte's eyes swung open, and, shimmering like black pearls, wandered around the room. Then she jumped up.

"Oh my God! Is this Asgard?"

Loki sat down on one of the couches and smiled at her. "Yes, little princess. This is my home. These are my chambers, actually. We are now in the palace of my father."

She smiled widely and then walked around the room, inspecting everything: the bed, the armchairs, the tables, the chandeliers. She touched the crystal vases with the flowers, the fabric of the curtains, the gold of the doorknobs. Her feet carressed the thick velvet carpets, and with a shriek of joy, she began dancing through his room. She danced from the windows to the doors, across the thick carpets, and her crimson skirt danced with her.

Loki sat there, watching her, admired her smile and her hair and her eyes. Everything about her seemed like a miracle. She _was _a miracle. She was everything Loki couldn't create with his magic. He wished he would be able to keep her forever.

"Are you hungry and thirsty, little princess?", he asked after a while.

She smiled at him and nodded shyly.

"You do not need to be ashamed of needing anything. I can ask the kitchen to bring us something."

"Do you often have girl company?"

Loki smiled. "Not as often as you might think. I am not my brother. Now how about something to eat? I am sure there will be something left from dinner."

Charlotte nodded absentmindedly. She had discovered Loki's wardrobe. Right now she was staring at a green velvet cloak. "This is so beautiful!",she exclaimed. Then she saw the rest of his clothing – the heavy fabrics, the intricate embroidery, the gold. "You really are a prince, aren't you?"

Loki smiled. "Yes, I am. A proud prince of Asgard, and, possibly, the next king."

Her eyes grew huge. "And here I am, just touching everything! I am sorry. I shouldn't be here."

Loki gently took her hand. "That is not true. Sit down, little princess, while I am ordering some food." He led her to an armchair and then walked off into another room.

A few minutes later he returned. "The food will be brought immediately. Would you accompany me to the dining table?" It pleased him to see the questions in her eyes, the wonder, the curiosity, as he led her into the adjoining room. He had prepared a table there, had lit some candles and had poured wine into crystal goblets.

He helped her sit down on a comfortable chair with enough cushions for her to sit properly. Her skin shimmered like ivory, and Loki found that he couldn't take his eyes off of her.

A knock on the door told him the servants had arrived with the food. Loki let them in, and never let Charlotte out of view. She looked overwhelmed by what was served – it were only the leftovers of the royal dinner, but it was more than she had ever seen before.

Loki thanked the servants, who with a bow disappeared immediately. After they had gone, Loki lifted the covers of the silver plates. "Ah", he smiled, "This seems to be pork." He looked at Charlotte. "Do you want me to just put something onto your plate, little princess?"

Charlotte nodded, a little overwhelmed by everything.

He handed her a plate filled with pork, peas and carrots, mashed potatoes and freshly baked bread. The plate was joined by a bowl of pumpkin soup and a smaller plate with a piece of chocolate pound cake on it.

Charlotte's eyes were huge. "This is all for me?", she asked astonished.

"That, and more", Loki smiled, "Now eat, little princess, before it gets cold."

She still just stared. Then she looked at Loki. "Why are you doing that?"

"Doing what, little Snow-White?"

"Helping me. I mean, why have you brought me to Asgard tonight? You said it was forbidden."

Loki smirked. "It is, little one, it is. But I am the god of mischief and lies, so why should I obey any rules?"

She giggled and began eating. Loki watched how graceful she was, and while watching her, his impression that this was not a mortal grew. She was pure beauty, pure grace, pure innocence. The ladies of Asgard were no match for her.

"I will always believe this was a dream", Charlotte sighed, and with sudden fear Loki realized he would have to take her back first thing in the morning. He wanted her to stay. He wanted her with him.

"No, little princess, do not worry. You shall always know that this night was real. I can promise you that. Just as I can promise you I will give you sweet dreams every night." He already had tried to keep the dark nightmares away from her, but when she was trapped in Thomas' cellar, there was nothing he could do. Thomas' cellar was dark, wet and cold, with no mirrors or glass or anything shiny he could appear on. How much Loki wanted to run to Odin to ask him to let her stay in Asgard, where she would be both safe and happy.

Charlotte had finished eating and yawned behind her hands.

"Are you tired, my little one? I have a bed you can sleep in, and I will sleep on one of the couches."

"No, no. You take your bed. You will be king. I don't want to steal a prince's bed."

"But you deserve to sleep comfortably. I know of your bed at home. You deserve so much better, so please, for one night, take this bed."

She fiercly shook her head. Loki wanted to kiss her. She was so cute.

"No, no, no!", she said, and Loki loved to hear some strength in her voice. She shook her head again, and this time, Loki added mischievously:"Well, then I guess we both have to sleep both in the same bed." He hadn't said that because he wanted something from her. He had said that because he hoped she would rather give in and let him sleep on the couch than sharing a bed with him.

But he had been wrong. For a moment, he even thought he'd seen a certain light in her eyes when she answered:"So be it. Me left, you right."

And she ran to the bed, took off her dress so she was now only wearing a white underdress and smiled at him. "Are you coming?"

By now Loki wanted to kiss her so badly that he was already arguing with himself over pros and cons. He settled on _not _kissing her. The probable cost of losing her friendliness and trust was too high for just one kiss.

She was so beautiful. "I could summon a nightgown for you, little princess", he said instead, "A silk nightgown with lace and golden embroidery. A nightgown fitting the princess you are."

Her eyes were huge, but then she shook her head. "You cannot wake anyone for me."

He grinned mischievously. "But I can do magic." And with a wave of his hand, a beautiful nightgown appeared on his bed. The fabric was very thin – maybe a little too reveiling for a girl who had to work as a prostitute.

"I love it!", Charlotte exclaimed and clapped her hands. Courteously Loki turned round so she could put it on. When he turned round to face her again, he knew he had tricked himself. She was looking so radiant that he spoke out loud:"I want to kiss you."

Charlotte stared at him.

He stared at her. "I am so sorry, little princess!", he hurried to say, "I didn't mean-"

"I don't know how."

Loki fell silent. "You don't know what?"

"How to kiss properly. How to kiss someone you want to kiss."

Suddenly Loki felt pity for the little woman, and he wanted her to take her into his arms and protect her from all evil things that were in the nine realms.

"Would you show me?", she asked quietly.

Loki raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure?"

She nodded. "I think I want to be kissed by you."

Loki took a deep breath and realized that he was nervous. Why was he nervous? This wouldn't be the first time for him to kiss a lady, nor the first time to kiss a lady he liked. Strange.

He walked slowly towards her and took her hands. She was tiny, compared to him – her head barely reached to his chest. He caressed her cheek, bent down, and then slowly kissed her soft, warm lips. Her response was eager – she leaned into the kiss and grabbed hold of his forearm, so that he could feel the impact of her delicate fingers on his skin. Loki lifted her up so that they were now face to face, and her kissing became more fiercly. With a pang he realized that this poor young woman had never known love, but that just like everyone else, she needed it.

"Don't stop!", she whispered, sounding more demanding now. Loki answered this with a passionate kiss himself, and he felt more and more aroused. They would have to stop soon, or he would have to go all the way. But he didn't want to be like everyone to her. He wanted to be special.

And so he broke the kiss.

Charlotte stared at him, and he could see tears glittering in her eyes. "Have I done wrong?", she asked, worried.

Loki shook his head and put her back onto the ground. "No, little princess. It's just... I..." Why couldn't he find the right words? He was Asgard's silver tongue! But her pretty black eyes kept him from thinking properly. She was so beautiful that he couldn't think straight. That had _never _occurred before!

"Loki?"

He saw that a tear was already running down her rosy cheek. He quickly wiped it away. "You haven't done anything wrong, my little Charlotte. It is just... if we went a step further, I wouldn't be able to stop."

A small smile appeared on her lips. "Why would you want to stop?"

"Because I don't want to do anything that you don't like."

Now the smile had reached her eyes, which were glittering at him in a curious way. It looked... challenging?

"And if I wanted you to do it? Would you still say no?"

"I... I do not think so, little princess."

The challenging look in her eyes disappeared. She looked pleading now. "Then don't stop, Loki", she whispered.

She didn't need to say that twice. Loki lifted her up again, kissing her even more fiercly than before, and when he felt aroused again, he didn't stop. He sat down on his bed, Charlotte on his lap, their lips never parting. His hands caressed her back and pressed her closer to him, while she was touching the muscles of his arms and chest. A quiet moan escaped her lips, and it was this moan that made Loki more courageous – courageous enough to get her out of her nightgown.

Her bare skin, shimmering like pearls in the dim light of Loki's chamber, aroused him even more, and with a grace fitting the prince he was he took off his clothes, too.

Charlotte's eyes were filled with wonder as they roamed over his body, his skin almost as pale as hers. His emerald-green eyes twinkled as he saw her desire growing, and his lips parted from hers and began kissing her throat. Her breathing accelerated, and her black eyes were huge with anticipation. Loki halted for a second.

"Is this really what you want, my little princess?"

The smile on her red lips was honest. "Yes", she whispered, "For the first time... yes." She laid a hand onto his cheek and caressed his face with her thumb. Loki felt tears prickling in his eyes, and he didn't even know why. Maybe it was this gesture. It felt so... protective... and loving...

"Are you sure?" He couldn't really believe that this tiny woman, who had suffered so long under being a prostitute by force, who had never known how it felt to be really _loved _by a man, would want _this _in the one night where she wouldn't have to do it.

Her smile grew wider. "Yes... my prince."

He didn't need another affirmation.

As he came inside of her, Loki realized that this wasn't just sex they were having. This wasn't what he usually felt when he slept with ladies from the court. If he didn't know better, he would have called it making love.

She came, too, almost at the same time, and the sound of that was so beautiful to Loki, like music, like birdsong, that he had to correct himself.

This was making love.

He, Loki, was falling in love with a _Midgardian_.

As Charlotte had fallen asleep in his arms, her quiet breathing calming his quick-working mind, he thought about this feeling. Had he really just fallen in love with this woman?

No. The answer was_ no_. The truth was much worse for a god who was not supposed to have favorites and loves.

He remembered the first time he had seen her, twenty-two years ago. Her birthday. For a reason still unknown to him, he had been drawn to the Creeds' house. Julie Creed, the mother, had been fast asleep, while the father, Richard, had been eating dinner with the two sons, Frank and Thomas. And there, in a cradle, had laid the most beautiful baby girl Loki had ever seen – sleeping, but smiling. This moment had been one of the rare moments of piece for him, and, forgetting his duty as the god of mischief and lies, he had rocked the cradle and had hummed a little Asgardian nursery song, until the girl's eyes had flown open and had looked into his.

After that, he had visited her as often as he could. And sometimes, he had gotten the feeling that she saw him being there.

An assumption that had been proven right today.

He had accompanied her throughout her childhood – not an easy task, because as much as he had wanted to help, he couldn't. He had had to watch her cruel brother trying to break her every day since her birth. Thomas had hit her, hurt her, raped her, and at the age of six, she had been sold to a man for the very first time. But while she had long believed that what she and Thomas were sharing was love, she had always known that being sold was wrong. Loki didn't know whether that had saved or hurt her.

Charlotte had grown up with almost nothing but violence, and the only one who had been able to control Thomas had been the older brother Frank, who unfortunately had disappeared when Charlotte had been five. Loki had cursed himself for not being able to help her, and so he had just given her advice on how to best handle situations. He hated it to see her hurt, and as much as he sometimes wanted to turn around and forget what was happening to her, he never left her side.

Charlotte was a miracle, though. She was twenty-two, had lived through twenty-two years of violence, and although she reminded him more of a child than a woman (a way of protecting herself, he was sure of that), she hadn't allowed her soul to be destroyed. She was the most sweet-natured creature he had ever met, loving even the spiders that lived in her wooden cabin. There were only few animals she didn't like – rats, maggots and cockroaches. She was friendly to strangers, and although she couldn't defend herself against Thomas or her other tormentors, she always remained lovable, sweet and graceful. She _was_ a princess, if not by title, then by the qualities.

As Charlotte had grown older, the brotherly love Loki had felt for her had quickly turned into what he had long thought was admiration. But now that she was lying next to him, he realized that he had fallen in love with her some time ago.

He looked at the peaceful smile on her lips and stole one more kiss before he pressed her closer to him. Loki Odinson really had fallen in love. What a strange thought that was to him! He snickered quietly and then fell asleep, too.

He woke up when it was still dark outside. He was already thinking he had only dreamed about last night when he felt the shift in his arms as Charlotte turned round. He smiled. So last night _really _had happened.

That was good.

And then his smile faded. He would have to bring her back now. He would have to bring her back to brutal Thomas. He didn't want Charlotte to break. But eventually she would. He knew that. No one could bear that much violence without paying a price.

He wouldn't wake her up. He couldn't bear to say good-bye to her. With a snap of her finger, she was wearing her dress again, and then he quickly put on his own clothes. He gently lifted her up and left the palace and Asgard without anyone noticing him.

Loki reached Midgard and hurried to Thomas' little hut. Thomas was already gone- or not even home yet. With a wave of his hand, the illusion of a sleeping Charlotte disappeared, and he swapped her with the real one. He laid her onto the straw, covered her with the thin blanket and blinked away the tears in his eyes as he turned away.

"Are you going to leave without saying good-bye?", her beautiful voice caught him before he could leave. He turned round. Charlotte was sitting there, a tiny smile on her lips, but tears running down her face. Loki sighed desperately and rushed back to her to take her into his arms.

"I am sorry, little princess. I thought it might be easier this way."

She wiped her tears away. "For you or for me?", she asked, smiling now.

Loki bit his lip, but didn't answer.

"Loki..."

He looked at her. "Yes?"

"You don't have a _wife_, do you? I would hate the idea of having cheated on someone."

Loki chuckled. Charlotte really was someone special. "No, I don't have a wife. Norse mythology says I have, but that is wrong."

"A mythological wife?", she asked and looked curiously at him, "What is her name? Is there someone like her in Asgard?"

He was laughing now. "No, there is no goddess by that name living there."

She looked uncontent. "So what _is _her name?"

He shook his head in affectionate disbelief. Was she always this persistent? "It's Sigyn, the victory-girlfriend."

Her eyes widened. "_Sigyn_?"

"Yes. Have you heard the name before, my little Charlotte?"

She nodded. "Of course I have." She giggled. "And you say you've known me ever since my birth!"

He raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Well...", she paused for a second, which made him even more curious, "My mother wanted to call me Sigyn, but Father wouldn't allow that."

Loki stared at her. That just wasn't possible. But then, he had known all along that she was no mere mortal. "Your name is Sigyn?"

She shook her head. "My name is Charlotte. My mother just _wanted _to call me Sigyn."

Loki nodded, his mind racing. He had already discovered that Charlotte's mother had gathered her knowledge about Asgard from an Asgardian, and apparently, this Asgardian had told her of Sigyn. But why would he or she have done so?

The scales fell from his eyes. Julie Creed was a beautiful woman, with long black hair and equally black eyes, but she didn't possess the grace Charlotte had. However, she possessed the beauty to impress a god who was wandering on Midgard, looking for someone to warm his bed for one night. Loki was sure that a god had persuaded Julie to go to bed with him, and then had sired a child. On purpose, he realized immediately, because this god had told Julie to name her daughter _Sigyn, _presumably before even Julie had known that she was pregnant.

Charlotte was a demi-Asgardian.

He smiled at her, not giving away what he had just discovered, and said:"Oh, I know, my little princess. But for us Asgardians, that means that your name is Sigyn. It's the name your mother has given you, and the mother-name is the one that truly counts."

She smiled, and he saw that something jovial was glittering in her eyes. "I guess that means that I'm your wife, doesn't it?" She winked at him, and he laughed.

They fell silent for a while, until he said:"My dearest Charlotte, you know I have to leave now."

She nodded. "One last kiss?"

He closed his eyes so she wouldn't see how much it hurt him to leave her here. Their lips touched, and Loki felt reminded of the night they had shared.

This time, it was her who broke the kiss. "Now leave, my prince of mischief. I think you have work to do."

Loki nodded, his heart heavy. ""You know we won't see each other again, don't you?", he asked quietly.

Charlotte giggled and beamed at him. "But I see you all the time, Loki!"

He nodded again, desperately trying to hold back tears. He didn't want to leave her in this hell.

She laid a hand on his cheek, just like last night. The gesture had something tremendously moving, and Loki closed his eyes to savor this moment.

"Good-bye, Prince Loki", she smiled and kissed his cheek.

"Good-bye... my queen", he smiled back and pressed his lips onto her hand. And with a blink of her eyes, he was gone.

Back in his room, Loki sat down in one of his armchairs, thinking about Charlotte. Today he certainly wouldn't accompany his brother to one of the stupid training sessions with his brother's stupid friends. There were more important things to be done. He had to find out who Charlotte's father was. Why this Asgardian had decided to sire a daughter upon a mortal, and then to name this daughter Sigyn. This could only mean that this god had done this with a purpose. What was it? Who would do such a thing? There weren't many Asgardians who went to Midgard – as far as he knew, he was the only frequent visitor. Thor, this huge imbecile of a brother, hadn't been to Midgard in a few hundred years. Heimdall might have been the god in question, but he _never _left his position as the Guard of the Bifrost.

This could only mean...

Yes, there was only _one _god who was known for having a purpose for everything he did.

But that was impossible.

Charlotte couldn't be...

No. Because if she was, why would he leave her with a brother this brutal?

Or was this monstrosity of a life a purpose, too? To make Charlotte, no, _Sigyn_, into what she was?

That was a horrible thought. As much as Loki knew the Asgardians could be cold and heartless, this particular one was the most honorable man he knew. He would never do such a thing.

King Odin – his father! – would never do such a thing.

Would he?


End file.
